1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to toothbrushes and in particular to disposable toothbrushes packaged with accompanying toothpaste.
2. Background Art
Virtually everyone is aware that brushing the teeth is necessary for adding to the health and longevity of the teeth and also necessary for a pleasant appearance and smell of the teeth. In fact, dentists recommend that one's teeth be brushed once in the morning, after every meal, and once prior to retiring to bed at night. However, for practical reasons, many individuals do not regularly brush their teeth. Over time, the effect of irregular brushing is the build of plaque, onset of gingivitis, formation of cavities and a number of other health-related problems. Thus, although many individuals choose not to brush regularly due to inconvenience or impracticality, they will eventually spend much time and money to cure teeth related and health related problems that could have been prevented.
One primary reason for the impracticality of regular brushing is the difficulty that most individuals have with the inconvenience of carrying a toothbrush and its container and the required toothpaste and its separate container. Although toothbrushes, toothpastes and their respective containers are available in small as well as large sizes, there are many reasons why the mere reduction in the size of the present toothbrushes and toothpastes has not significantly reduced the inconvenience of carrying a separate toothbrush and separate toothpaste with their separate containers.
First, it is difficult to carry two separate items, i.e. a toothbrush separate from the toothpaste. Second, the toothbrush requires a protective container to keep the toothbrush from collecting dust, becoming dirty and unsanitary, being damaged, or causing damage to other items in its proximity. Third, the toothpaste manifestly requires a container to be held in and carried around. Thus, the amount of space consumed by the toothbrush, its container, and the toothpaste and its (separate) container usually exceeds the available space in a typical pocket or purse. Moreover, since the two necessary components, i.e. the toothbrush and the toothpaste are separate from each other, individuals often forget to take one or the other component. Further, toothbrushes shorter than four inches are impractical since they cannot reach the back of the mouth such that it becomes very difficult to reach and brush one's wisdom teeth. Thus, the toothbrush and its package are typically more than four inches in length. Also, the present toothbrushes and their accompanying packages are quite inflexible. Thus, it is very difficult to fit the toothbrush in cramped surroundings since a space for the exact dimensions of the toothbrush must be made available. Finally, the recurring cost of purchasing a small toothbrush and a small amount of toothpaste (and their containers) is prohibitive.
The above are some of the reasons for the impracticality of carrying a small toothbrush and toothpaste around when one leaves home. To applicant's knowledge no attempt has been made to overcome the impracticality of carrying a toothbrush and toothpaste in a convenient manner. Although there are a number of disposable personal care items in the market, such as disposable razors, to applicant's knowledge there are no practical and cost-effective disposable toothbrushes in the market that overcome the inconveniences and impracticalities that were discussed above.
Presently, a type of flexible instrument is used for massaging a baby's gums (prior to the time that the baby has developed any teeth). This flexible gum massager consists of a thin plastic tube. The parent's finger is inserted into the tube such that the tip of the finger is pressed against the closed end of the thin plastic tube. The thin plastic tube is designed such that it loosely fits over the parent's finger. The closed end of the plastic tube loosely fits over the tip of the parent's finger and has a few ribs (i.e. a few raised arcs) that are used to massage the baby's gums. However, such an instrument cannot work as a toothbrush and has never been used as a toothbrush. First, the flexible tube is loose and does not form a tight grip over the finger. Accordingly, it is extremely difficult for the baby gum massager to withstand the more rigorous adult tooth brushing action. Second, there are no bristles that can be used to brush the teeth. Third, there is no reason why adults would want to use such an instrument instead of a regular toothbrush since the instrument does not come with portable toothpaste and thus can be used only at home. In other words, if such an instrument must be used at home, one may simply use a regular toothbrush instead of such an instrument. Fourth, the material used for the baby's gum massager is latex (i.e. a thin plastic) that is not strong enough to support bristles for brushing action. Moreover, the baby gum massager is designed to have a loose fit over the parent's finger and does not grip the finger tight enough to permit either light or heavy brushing action.
Therefore, there is serious need in the art for a disposable and portable toothbrush and toothpaste that can be practically and conveniently carried around in small spaces such as one's pocket or wallet or a small purse. There is further need in the art for an effective and disposable toothbrush in order to make it practical and convenient to regularly brush one's teeth in various places such as the airport, the airplane, a hotel room, a restaurant, at work, and at school. There is also need in the art for a convenient package to carry the disposable toothbrush in a sanitary and safe manner. Moreover, there is need in the art to have a low cost disposable toothbrush such that its disposal does not amount to "waste" of money.